Chelsea's Defeat: A Wake-Up Call in the Women's Champions League

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Defender Lucy Bronze candidly expressed that Chelsea was 'miles off' their usual standard during their first defeat under manager Sonia Bompastor. This loss occurred in the Women's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Manchester City, ending a remarkable 31-match unbeaten streak that dated back to last May when Liverpool secured a 4-3 victory in the Women's Super League.

Bronze, reflecting on the game against her former club, remarked, 'I don't think we were good enough. We didn't have enough effort in our press. We were really sloppy with our passing. We were miles off our game, Sonia [Bompastor] said that at half-time. It improved a little bit in the second half, but that's when they got their goals.'

This match is the second of four consecutive encounters between Chelsea and City, with Bompastor's team having previously secured a 2-1 victory in the Women's League Cup final the preceding Saturday. The teams are set to meet again in the WSL on Sunday, followed by the Champions League return leg at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

Bompastor is focused on eliciting a strong response from her team. Chelsea has not been shy about their aspirations to clinch the Champions League title and aims to rebound from this setback. Bronze, a five-time European champion with Lyon and Barcelona, added, 'That's what football is - you have ups and downs. We have had a fantastic first half of the season. Everyone ups their game when they play Chelsea now because they want to be the first team to beat us, and that's happened today. We just have to go back and be better for the weekend.'

Despite the end of their unbeaten run, Chelsea's season remains promising. They are the only undefeated team in the WSL after 16 games and are still in contention for a historic quadruple. Bompastor remains optimistic, stating, 'We said our ambitions at the beginning of the season and we won't change that. Our ambitions are still there. That is the first time we have been beaten, so that is not a drama. Going unbeaten is a nice thing but it's not a trophy so we don't care about that. I want us to win the right games – the important ones – and win as many trophies as we can.'

Chelsea's experience from last season serves as a reminder that first-leg victories cannot be taken lightly. They had initially won 1-0 against Barcelona in the semi-final at Stamford Bridge but were ultimately defeated in the return leg. Former Manchester City midfielder Izzy Christiansen commented on BBC Radio 5 Live, 'It's only half-time. We know Chelsea will find more gears. They have got so much quality. It is beautifully poised for Thursday night.'

Currently, Chelsea leads the WSL, eight points ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United, and 12 points above Manchester City. While the upcoming league match on Sunday is significant, former Manchester City forward Ellen White suggests that Chelsea's focus should be on the Champions League tie. 'Chelsea just need to go to Stamford Bridge and that is the one they need to win the most,' she told 5 Live. 'Ultimately they are quite far ahead in the league, but they want to win the Champions League so they have to go to Stamford Bridge and score a lot of goals.'